Flying target



2 Sh eets-She et 1.

(No Model.)

J. L. BARKER. FLYING TARGET.

Patented Feb. 211, 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

.J. L. BARKER.

' FLYING TARGET. I v No. 312,604. Patented Feb. 24, 1885.

.NITED STATES PATENT rrrcn.

JOHN L. BARKER, OF RACINE, \VISGONSIN.

FLYING TARGET.

SPECIJ; ICATICN farming part of Letters Patent No, 312,604, dated February 24, 1885.

Application filed February 19, 1884. (X0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN L. BARKER, of Racine, in the county of Racine and State of WVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying Targets; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,

such. as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention relates to an iniprovcmentin flying targets.

It is well known that the use of glass balls on fields where children are accustomed to vide an attractive and inexpensive target which caube readily takenapart and packed in small compass, and one which will soar bird-like out of and upward from the line of projection.

With these ends in View my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View in perspective showing the target in position in the trap and trap ready to be sprung; Fig. 2, the arrow, body of the bipd, and wings, and Fig. 3 a sectional view showing the trigger and spring-guard.

The body of the bird, A, is preferably made of tough paper about one-sixteenth of an inch thick, and cut in shape to represent a side view of a pigeon or other bird, as desired. The front of the body A is provided with a longitudinal slit, a, and the back with a notch, a. The purpose of the slit and notch will appear further on. The lower portion of the body A is furnished with the elongated projection B, in which the diagonal open slot 1) is formed. The projection Bis constructed to enter the elongated slot 0 in the arrow 0. A pin, a, is placed transversely across the slot 0, and is adapted to enter the open slot I; when the projection B is placed in the slot 0. The diagonal position of the slot b causes the body A to be carried along with the arrow G with out liability of displacement while the arrow is in motion, and at the same time furnishes an easy means of adjusting the body and removing it from the arrow.

The arrow may be made of any suitable material, preferablyof tough wood, and consists of a plain gradually-tapering rod provided with a weight at its head to give it momentum enough to carry the bird a suflicient distance.

The wings D consist of a single piece of thin stiff and tough paper, preferably oblong in shape, having the front corners rounded, and provided with an elongated closed slot, 6, sufficiently long and wide to admit of the wings D being slipped over the head of the body A and slid rearwardly in the slit a until the rearward edge of the wing portion falls into the notch a. The lowest portion of the notch a is farther from the arrow than the slit to is, and thus when the wings are placed in position it will cause them to be curved, as-shown in the drawings. This will cause the artificial bird or target, when thrown with sufficient velocity, to lift from the line of projection and imitatejquite closely the rising of a game-bird.

The position of the notch and-the slit on the body of the bird may be varied to cause different paths of flight, and the arrow may, if desirable, be rigidly secured to the bird.

The object of the arrow being removable is economy-by having one hundred arrows, for example, answer for one thousand birds.

The trap designed especially for projecting the above-described target consists of a barrel, E, made of suitable material provided with a longitudinal perforation, 6, adapted to allow the arrow a free sliding motion therein. The barrel E is further provided on its upper side with a narrow open slot, 6, which communicates with the perforation e, and on its right and left sides with the corre' sponding closed slots a The slot e is made of sufficient width to allow the body of the bird, A, a free sliding motion therein, and the slots 6 are sufficiently wide to allow the string which connects the actuating-springs a free longitudinal movement.

, A cross-bar, F, is secured in an easily-removable mannerto the end of the barrel E. The barF maybe rigid or have a slight spring.

To the ends of the bar F the spiral springs G are secured in any approved manner, and these springs are connected at their other ends by a tough hard string, 9, which, as before noticed, has an easy longitudinal motion in the slots 6-.

At the rear ends of the slots 6 the barrel E is provided with the downwardly-extending notches 0 to afford a rest for the string A flat strip of spring-metal, H, is secured in arecess prepared for it at the rear end of the perforation e, and extends forward just beneath and alittle beyond the notches (2 The trigger K is pivoted in a slot, is, beneath the forward. end of the spring H, and is constructed to lift the end of the said spring when pulled backward. It will thus be seen that when the string 9 is drawn down and placed in the notches e the arrow, with the bird attached, may be introduced into the barrel E at either end, and the rear end of the arrow placed against the front end of the spring H. Now, if the trigger be pulled backward, the spring H will lift the string 9 out of the notches e", and the tension of the spiral springs G, or combined tension of the spiral springs G and spring-bar F,will be exerted to project the arrow. The tension of the springs, and hence the velocity of the arro\v,may be easily regulated by lengthening or shortening the strings or other devices which fasten the springs to the cross-bar. The barrel E is pivoted between the upwardly-extending arms of the standard L, and is held in the required angle of elevation by means of the clamping-nut Zon the pivotal boltZ. Thelower portion ofthestandard is swiveled in the base-block M, and hence allowed to occupy any required position in a horizontal plane. The base-block M is preferably square in cross-section, and is supported upon four legs pivoted thereto by the bolts m. A single bolt secures two opposite legs,

and a clamping-nut on this bolt holds thelegs in any required adjustment.

From the above description it will be seen that both the bird and trap may be taken apart and packed in'a very concise form for transportation, and can be adjusted for operation in a very short time; and, furthermore, the small amount of metal required in the construction of these devices makes the package light to carry and inexpensive to send.

It is evident that many slight changes may be made in the form and construction of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth.

I-Iaving fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Afiying target shaped to resemble abi rd, and provided with outstretched wings upwardly inclined from their front to their rear edges, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a flying target shaped to resemble a bird, and provided with outstretched curved wings upwardly inclined from their front to their rear edges, of an an row secured to the bird below its wings, sub stantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a flying target shaped to resemble a bird, and provided with outstretched wings upwardly inclined from their front to their rear edges, of an arrow removably secured to the bird.

4. A flying target shaped to resemble a bird, and provided with removable outstretched curved wings upwardly inclined from their front to their rear edges, substantially as set forth.

5. In a flying target, the combination,with an arrow having an elongated slot, of an arti ficial paperbird removabiy secured in the slot.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN L. BARKER. 

